When will the bluegill/redear nest this year?

[Troy Dorman]

I live in Southern Indiana and we simply haven't had much of a winter. It's been the warmest winter anyone can recall. Our temperatures have recently been in the low 60's and warmer, with the next seven days calling for mid to upper 70's. It won't take long at that rate for these small lakes to warm up, pushing these fish towards their nesting grounds.

 

The magic month in my area has long been May, the full moon of May to be even more specific. I'm thinking the full moon of April might be the ticket this year. Of course that's banking on these temps staying good and warm...anything's possible this time of year. At a minimum, I think the spawn will be 2-3 full weeks early in most places. What do you think?

[Bill "Musky" Modica]

It will be accelerated, that's for sure!

[Tony Livingston]

My water temps were at 53 degrees as of yesterday. My experience has been that the Bluegill will start building nests when it climbs to around 67-68 degrees. The Redear in our ponds tend to nest first, slightly ahead of the Bluegill by just a couple of days. Then the two fish will overlap and share nesting sites and times.

Don't forget to try your luck during the pre-spawn, as well as what I call the staging periods. Some of my best fish are taken during these times, and the action can be fast and furious.

[Troy Dorman]

I agree about the staging period Tony. It seems like you can really hook up with some large panfish during that time frame, specifically big pregnant females.

 

[Greg McWilliams]

I would say you need to start today and go from now til they do it!!!!!!! That way you won't miss it!!!!!!

[james mitchell]

I live in knoxville TN my home lake is norris lake and the water temp yesterday was 55.3 i have tried pionts next to deep water and lots of flats in the last few days without a lot of success . I have caught a few but not what i was hoping . If temps stay the way they are here the bite you would think start in april im hoping anyway that just gives me a few more weeks of cracker jackin !! By the way Greg i like your idea fish fish fish !

[James Feasel]

hey fellow hoosier. i hit monroe last friday. surface temps were 62 to 65 degrees---about 10 degrees above an average mid march. tied a #6 red sickle hook 1/16th oz jig (i pour) about 20" under a casting bubble tipped with a minnow. when i ran out of minnows, a 2" power grub worked just as good. tally for the afternoon was 6 yellow bass, 9 largemouth, 2 dozen warmouth, 3 dozen 8" bluegill and 150+ crappie. pre spawn is where it's at man. 50 to 55 degrees is prime time. i don't mess with the bedders anymore, but the full moon period of april gills and 'ears bedders are the biggest in the central and south of our state. may is still good, especially up in the northern 1/3rd of indiana. weird year for sure. the steelies up in the st joe usually run til mid april. they're about done already.

[Jim Gronaw]

We have had 2 weeks of 70 plus degree days, with balmy, 50 degree nights. My last two trips yielded 50 and 54 fish respectively. Water is from 58 to 64, and the pre-spawn gig is hot and heavy. The earliest I have ever seen the spawn in the Mason-Dixon area was April 24 th, but I think we will shatter that early mark real soon.

[james mitchell]

Jim, i have a question the lake here in tn is still 5-8 ft from the grass beds i caught my shellcrackers on last year will they bed before the lake reaches those levels or will they wait til they can get to the grass ?